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Smith launches North America’s first graduate business degree in artificial intelligence

Master's program focuses on the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the context of modern business decision-making.

Smith School of Business has launched a new management business degree in artificial intelligence that will help fill the talent gap for much-needed managers who can apply AI strategies to business decisions.

Smith School of Business’ new Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence (MMAI), a first for North America, is focused on the effective management of AI in business.

Smith’s new Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence (MMAI), a first for North America, is focused on the effective management of AI in business. The program is designed specifically for studying the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the context of modern business decision-making.

“AI is being considered for every function within organizations, from operations to marketing and customer experience, to finance and forecasting,” says Elspeth Murray, Associate Dean, MBA and Masters Programs, Smith School of Business. “But the challenge is bridging the power of technology with the needs and context of the organization. That requires a new kind of professional with a balance of science and management expertise. That’s why the Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence is so needed today.”

The MMAI content will be delivered by Smith faculty and adjunct faculty from the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a hub of outstanding global talent focused on research excellence in deep learning and machine learning.

Based at SmithToronto, Smith’s state-of-the-art facility in downtown Toronto, the MMAI will start classes in September 2018, subject to approval by the Ontario Universities Quality Council. A 12-month program that students take while they continue to work, classes are held Tuesday evenings and alternate Saturdays, plus two one-week residential sessions in Kingston.

Smith is known for its innovation and leadership in business education. The school has a strong history of recognizing a market need and quickly developing programs – from establishing the first undergraduate business degree a century ago to launching the leading and largest Master of Management Analytics (MMA) in 2013. The MMAI is built on the foundational business and analytics courses of the MMA with the addition of courses in deep learning, natural language processing, AI ethics and policy, reinforcement learning, and an AI capstone project.

“AI will be a core business function for the next generation of business leaders, and we want to graduate business managers who will generate tangible business outcomes from AI,” Dr. Murray says.